In Turkey since 31 of May people resist against the government. At the beginning it was for protecting our trees in Gezi Park… Then it turned to a resistance to protect the democracy, the human rights, the values of our republic. Since then we lost six bright young person because of police attacks while practising our most natural right: right to protest.

Yesterday night, until early hours of this morning, Turkish people was again in the streets and not only in Turkey, in lots of parts of the world including London, protesting Turkish government and police.

Since two years we are going to watch the Peter Pan Cup swimming race on Christmas Day morning at Serpentine in Hyde Park. It’s nice to walk early morning in empty London streets and then to watch Serpentine Swimming Club’s yearly tradition.

Waking up at five o’clock to be there on time (because on Christmas day there isn’t any public transportation and there are only few black cubs on duty) and getting out in a dark and cold winter morning, is not looking so sympathic maybe but enjoying the emptiness and the silence of the streets, having fresh winter morning air in Hyde Park, receiving candies as Christmas Day treats from Santa who is waiting us in Serpentine, listening the bagpipe which is announcing the beginning of the race, watching the bravehearts jumping in the ice cold brown waters of Serpentine, is quite a good experience for two foreigners who live in London.

This year, the race was as successful as last year’s. But this year, when the swimmers were out of the water and running to the mulled wine for heating their purple bodies, we were as wet as they were because of the rain which is quite surprising thing in our little kingdom.

What we learned this Christmas in London: English people do not eat the turkey on Christmas Eve. London is a ghost city on Christmas Eve. There is NOOO public transport, AAANY public transport on Christmas Day in London. If you are very very lucky you can find a black cab with a extra charge of £4 for Christmas Day. Lovely.

That’s why, we woke up at six o’clock this morning and had a lovely 2 hours walk from home to Serpentine in Hyde Park for watching our first Peter Pan Cup. London was asleep, streets were empty. We saw first time Oxford Street empty, without crazy shoppers.

When we arrived to Serpentine Lido, some swimmers were warming (?) up already, a Santa was serving treats and the spectators watching the brave men and women of The Serpentine Swimming Club. At nine o’clock we heard the call of the bagpipe and the race which is taking place every year on Christmas day morning in Hyde Park Serpentine since 1804, started.

One person was counting the seconds and the bravehearts were in a challenge in the ice cold, brown (certanly not cristal clear) waters of Serpentine at Hyde Park.

The pink bodies getting out of the icy water and running through the mulled wine.